Hemlock And The Wizard Tower (Book 1) (38 page)

"
You
encountered an envoy from the Witch during your harvest?" Falignus asked
, sitting in the audience chamber of the Wizard Council
.
  He was debriefing an Oberon harvesting team which was delivering an unusual report from their latest foray into the Witch Crags.  After having heard the news of Malvert’s misadventure with the Tanna Varrans, he was in no mood for news of more surprises from the region.

The
leader of the harvesting team
seemed to pale slightly
as
he answered, although he sounded resolute
.
"Yes, an apparition appeared to us.
 
It came upon us suddenly and gave off an aura of great power.
 
It appeared almost human and was dressed finely.
 
These are usually the most terrible of the spirits.
 
We had not been issued a Harvester yet, so we assumed battle formation.
"

The leader paused and looked up for a moment for affirmation from Falignus. 

Falignus gestured for him to continue.

"
It did not attack however, and began to speak to us.
 
It said that it was an emissary from the Witch of the Ziggurat and that she wished to speak with
Zaringer
.
 
I told it that
you are
now head of the Council and it noted that
,
but then said that
the Witch
would speak with who
ever
now leads
the Guild.
 
It stated that the Witch would scry using the Oberon obelisk when the moon reaches its solstice in
five
days
hence
."

"Did this apparition state why the Witch wished to scry with me?" asked Falignus.

"No,
it did not.
 
It retreated quickly once the message was delivered."

"Inter
esting,
"
said Falignus, not dismissing the harvesting team as he usually did immediately after receiving their report.

Falignus slu
mped back in his ornate chair.

Why would the Witch want to speak with us?
 
Is this related to Gwineval and recent events?

He didn't relish communicating with the Witch, whom he viewed as a corruption of nature.
 
It was true, Falignus reasoned, that
Zaringer
, the former head of
the Seventh C
ircle and
his
former mentor, had lately become much like the Witch and her lot.
 
The differ
ence between them wasthat the Seventh C
ircle sought to use dark magic as
a
means to extend life
to further their goal of
establish
ing
an ordered prosperity, whereas the Witches used it to prevent their death indefinitely
to maintain their reign of abusive tyranny.

Falignus alon
e knew that not just Zaringer, but all of the wizards of the Seventh C
ircle
now
rested near death in a state not unlike that of the Witches and their ilk.
 
This was only meant to be temporary, purportedly so the lore that these individuals had accumulated over the years could be leveraged for the final spells that would be require
d to realize extended life enjoyed at the height of physical vigor, which was the long term goal of the Seventh C
ircle
research
.

It will be different for me–I’ll never have to become one of those…things.

Under my leadership, we will realize the goal of extended life.  But not so much extended that we live as spectres, haunting the world.
 
We will extend life in its natural fullness, and when the time comes that even our arts fail us, we will die with grace.
 
This will happen in my lifetime–before I am reduced to what Zaringer has become.

Despite his determined optimism, some part of
Falignus
considered
that he would have to deal with
Zaringer and the other Seventh C
ircle
wizards
, if things didn't go according to plan.
 
He knew that if the dark spell research worked,
that
it might restore
Zaringer
and the others and allow them to return to the living in their normal for
ms for a time.
 
But he wondered what might happen
when the m
agical effects inevitably waned–
whether
Zaringer
and the others might not let go of their 'lives' willingly.

All things should be dealt with in their due time
,
he cautioned himself and returned his attention to the
proposed discussion
with the Witch.
 

Falignus reflected on whether he would speak with the Wizard Council about the unusual offer.

Tonight makes five days from the meeting with the spirit.  The scry is to happen tonight, in mere hours.

"The Council would want to debate the matter at length.  It is clever that the Witch hasn’t allowed me much time for counsel.  She aims to outsmart me, I gather," he pondered.

Falignus thought about consulting Samberlin, the Speaker of the Senate, whom he had lately engaged as an ally and come to value greatly as an advisor.  When Samberlin had approached him and suggested that they join forces, Falignus had known that the Senator planned to gain influence over him via their partnership.  Falignus had, in turn, thought that he’d be gaining a chance to manipulate the Senate through Samberlin.  Falignus had been surprised to find that he had much in common with the old Senator and that they shared a common philosophy of governance.

The wiry old worm has his own agenda
,
though.  I mustn’t allow him to get too close to me.  It’s better that he is unaware of this meeting for now.

"All of you," commanded Falignus toward the detachment who had just reported to him, "do not speak of this matter to anyone.  That includes Malvert and the other Council wizards.  I will inform them after the scrying session takes place."

The members of the harvester detachment bowed in acknowledgement of the order.

"You," Falignus ordered the harvest leader, "come with me to the Seventh Circle chambers.  You will initiate the scry."

The man looked fearful, but replied in agreement.

Some hours later, Falignus stood in a small, round room which was finished in dark obsidian.  Its only content was an opulently sculpted obsidian pool in its center.  The chamber was lit by a low red light, though no point of origin of that light was visible.

The wizard stood over the pool as Falignus regarded him from the nearby wall.

A
telltale greenish mist rose from the surface of the pool, its water looking black and subtly threatening as it rested
in the dark stone of the obsidian carved basin, its surface still and featureless save for the reflections of the green mist and the room around it.

Falignus noted with some humor that the First Circle wizard almost cried out when the scrying link was established, for the visage of the Witch was clearly visible in waters, and she was terrible in her beauty.

Her skin was cast in an unearthly pallor, but its tone was harshly beautiful.  Her features were sharp and merciless, yet their comeliness was unparalleled.  Her eyes were a dark, deep blue like cold ocean waters.  Her cheekbones were high and imperial and her nose complemented her face like a fine polished sword does a dress military uniform.

Falignus waved his hand toward the other Wizard dismissively, and began to speak to the Witch.

"Greetings.  You offer a most unexpected chance to parlay," Falignus opened, conscious of his own revulsion toward the image which he gazed upon, but determined not to let it show on his face.

"I have
a proposal for the Wizard Guild,
"
answered the Witch boldly in a voice that seemed to command an unearthly power, even to Falignus. 

He found himself lingering on the beauty of that voice.  It seemed to cloud his thoughts.

He had been warned about the Witch’s voice by Zaringer.  It was said to have the power to control men’s minds.

With a quick gesture of his hand, Falignus cast a small spell of warding which he had prepared prior to the scrying session.  It distorted his hearing magically.  He hoped that it would prevent the spell of the Witch’s voice from affecting him.

"I am listening."

"We both seem to have a common problem."

"Is that so?  I'm not sure I understand."

"Oh you understand,
" stated the Witch commandingly
, her voice booming in his ears, even through Falignus’ warding spell.  "Y
our people were bloodied by this particular problem not
six
days ago
.
"

Falignus
decided
to indulge her haughty tone, which he found
strongly
compelling, but well within his capability to resist. 

"Better that she underestimates me," he thought.

He replied mildly
.
"It is true
–
there was an incident with one of these savage villages and one of my harvesting teams.  It is being dealt with."

"Is it?" the Witch challenged,
but in
a less imperious
tone.

"What have we to fear from these... Tanna
Varran
s?"

"Perhaps more than you understand."

"Explain."

"T
hey are passive now.  O
ur peace treaty has bred some of their aggression out of the younger generations.  But this is a people that we have fought for centuries before the sundering, when our land crossed the veil and was bound to the City.  Do no
t
underestimate them."

"Inter
esting.  They will be managed.  W
e will not have to confront them en masse."

"These city dwellers that they harbor
–
that is your concern
then
?"

Falignus was impressed and he didn't bother to conceal it
.
"Yes, you are well informed."

"You believe that they are the reason for your difficulties with the Tanna
Varran
s, but I
am telling you that the Tanna Varran
s are also a force to be reckoned with.  Tell me of the city dwellers."

"
They are renegades; a renegade w
izard and his companions."

"I know
that
they are powerful.  They have
slain an ancient ally of mine, and
there are few in these lands that could have accomplished th
at
.  I
will not underestimate these R
enegade
s as you do the Tanna Varrans
.
  Do you think that they might find some common ground with one another?
"

Falignus paused to think
a moment.
"So you believe that the
R
enegades might find a willing ally in these
savages
?"

"Yes
,
I do.  Certain events have trans
pired.  I was surprised by the R
enegades as I spied on the Tanna
Varran
s.  I was forced to slay one of
the Tanna Varrans during my escape
.  Knowing their
history
, and especially in light of the foolhardy attack launched by your
wizards
on their town, I believe that they will
now
prepare for war.  They consid
er us both enemies now, and the R
enegades are their natural allies."

"Thus making us natural allies."

"Yes
.
"

Falignus considered her words.  He had not seen the Tanna
Varran
s as a threat in his prescient visions, yet according to the Witch
, perhaps they had not been at that
time. 

Could I have misread them like I did these companions of Gwineval’s?

"
We must strike them together.  After
we win th
e
battle, the rest of the Tanna
Varran
towns
will fall soon after.  Then we will be rid of them
,
and
free to build more harvesting obelisks in the valleys and caves,
" the Witch continued.